Chapter 120: Lai Da's Inner Journey

Despite his outward confidence, Lai Da was deeply uneasy. He and Gou Chengyun knew better than anyone the strength of the “kūnzéi bandits.” For the government army to force them out would require a bitter struggle. The gentry likely shared this view; otherwise, they wouldn’t have refused such a low-cost, high-reward opportunity to hedge their bets.

Lai Da waited anxiously, but the news that finally arrived was of the government army’s disastrous defeat at Chengmai. The Lai brothers, who had been eagerly anticipating their role in the “returning legion,” were struck as if by lightning. As the spoils of war poured in from Chengmai, their hopes were completely crushed.

They were left with only two choices: flee back to Qiongshan and live a precarious existence with their master, waiting for a chance to make a comeback, or settle down and live an honest life in Lingao. Finding a livelihood in Lingao was relatively easy for anyone willing to work.

The Lai brothers debated privately for a long time but couldn’t reach a decision. During this period of uncertainty, Lai Da had a chance encounter with Chu Qing at the entrance to the farm.

Chu Qing was now dressed entirely in the Australian fashion. If she hadn’t turned her face toward the construction site for a fleeting moment, he would have hardly recognized her.

Her casual glance in his direction made Lai Da’s heart nearly stop. She had become so beautiful! He had always thought Chu Qing was a good-looking girl, but after a few years, she was radiant.

This brief encounter was enough to make Lai Da abandon all thoughts of leaving. Not only did he dismiss the idea of departing Lingao, but he also went against his own rule of avoiding crowded places and major roads. He began to pass by the farm’s entrance frequently, hoping for another glimpse of Chu Qing—and perhaps, a chance to speak with her.

But Chu Qing rarely appeared outside. Her work on the farm kept her busy. She was not just Wu Nanhai’s “personal assistant” but also managed many small affairs on the farm. Lai Da’s repeated visits were fruitless. Finally, he decided to take a job as a casual laborer, digging and hauling earth on the construction site, so he could wait for her to appear while he worked.

He worked for more than ten days without seeing her again. One day, unable to bear the longing any longer, Lai Da was possessed by a strange impulse and asked a “true Australian” coming out of the farm about her.

Upon learning that Chu Qing was indeed on the farm, Lai Da was ecstatic. Throughout his years of wandering and living a hand-to-mouth existence, he had never stopped thinking of his “unwedded wife.” He yearned for the day he could drive out the bandits who had stolen his woman and reclaim her. This desire had been his pillar of strength through all the adversity.

When the government troops were massing in Qiongshan, preparing for a major campaign, Lai Da had spent countless hours scheming. He planned what he would do with Chu Qing once the bandits fled and he had her back.

She had been taken by the bandits, and whether as a maid or a concubine, she was likely no longer a virgin. By then, he, Lai Da, would be a hero who had helped the government forces retake Lingao. He would have his pick of fine women—perhaps even the daughter of a wealthy family. He couldn’t properly marry such a “soiled flower.” However, being a man of sentiment and righteousness, he felt it was only right to take her in as a concubine, as her loss of virtue was the bandits’ fault.

Lai Da had often fantasized about Chu Qing kneeling before him, begging for forgiveness, and her immense gratitude after he pardoned her…

The news of the government army’s crushing defeat at Qiongshan shattered his dreams. His thoughts of Chu Qing reverted to seeing her as his “unwedded wife,” and his longing for her grew day by day.

At this moment, Lai Da’s blood boiled. He wished he could rush into the farm, reunite with Chu Qing, pour out his heart to her, and then run away with her, leaving behind Young Master Gou, the bandits, the court, the army… all of it. The farm’s wall wasn’t high, but the dense hedge looked difficult to cross. And with bandit sentries at the gate, sneaking in would not be easy…

Lai Da’s daydream lasted for an hour before he came to his senses. People of his time lacked the modern grasp of time and underestimated the reaction speed of a modern security apparatus. He knew he couldn’t stay long, but his definition of “long” was in terms of days.

Lai Da was taken to the Political Security General Bureau’s investigation department and thrown into an interrogation room.

The lead investigator was a local named Wu Ming. He was a former bodyguard who had been fired from several agencies for being too ruthless in fights. After his dismissals, he was recruited by the Guangzhou station and sent back to Lingao, first as a police officer. Ran Yao saw him as a sharp, capable, and ruthlessly decisive man—a rare talent for an enforcer. He was a perfect henchman if trained properly. When the Political Security General Bureau was established, he became an operative. After Zhao Manxiong became the first deputy director, he was quickly promoted to investigator.

Under his sharp, relentless questioning, the unprepared Lai Da’s story quickly fell apart, full of contradictions. He finally tried to resort to silence, but when two burly men entered with various unknown instruments and lewd, ambiguous smiles, his courage failed him and he began to talk.

The investigator learned his name was Chen Da, that he had been a servant for a family in another region, and had just returned to Lingao after being dismissed. He had no ID and had run because he was afraid of getting into trouble with the authorities. As for why he was asking about Chu Qing, Lai Da couldn’t hide it completely and vaguely claimed she was a former neighbor. He had seen her on the road and was just curious about her current situation, with no other intentions.

The story was plausible and might have worked under normal circumstances. But Wu Mu had already ordered Gou Buli to be brought in. From a secret room next to the interrogation chamber, Gou Buli immediately identified the prisoner: it was Lai Da.

The investigator opened the “Wanted List” and on the second page, Lai Da’s name was prominently displayed, marked as “Class 1.”

“We’ve caught a big fish,” Wu Ming immediately reported to Wu Mu over the phone.

Wu Mu was very pleased. Catching Lai Da himself was of little practical significance, but if it led to the capture of the fugitive Gou Er and his father, it would further enhance the “omnipotent” reputation of the Transmigration group.

“Excellent,” Wu Mu said curtly. “You’ve done well.”

“Serving the Elders and the people, Director!”

“Alright, you can continue your service. In ten minutes, a document will be sent to you. You must follow the outline and make him talk.”

“Understood, Director!”

Wu Mu hung up. With Lai Da captured, it was highly likely that Gou Chengyun was also active in Lingao or Chengmai. He immediately drafted an order for a search and arrest operation in both counties.

The search, of course, did not find Gou Chengyun. He was not in Lingao or Chengmai, nor was he in the precarious Qiongshan. Gou Chengyun knew the government forces were unreliable and that the fall of Hainan was only a matter of time. He had already fled back to the mainland.

Under interrogation, Lai Da confessed everything: Gou Chengyun’s activities in Guangzhou, the plot to ally with the Huang family against the bandits… He also revealed that Gou Er’s father, Gou Xunli, was in Lingao.

But no matter how much they tortured him, Lai Da couldn’t provide Gou Xunli’s specific whereabouts—only that he was “in the mountains.”

“In the mountains!” Wu Mu thought. That’s useless. Lingao has a vast mountainous area, connected to neighboring counties and the Li districts. The mountains are covered in dense vegetation, thick with trees and weeds. It was one thing to suppress bandits—large groups had to come down for supplies—but catching a few individuals like Gou Xunli was much harder. He could easily flee to Danzhou to rest and then return to Lingao.

It wasn’t that the Transmigration group couldn’t catch him, but the cost and effort were disproportionate to the benefit, so it had never been made a priority case.

Wu Mu felt a little disappointed. Seeing there was nothing more to be gained, he ordered Lai Da to be locked up to await his fate.

“Report, Director,” Wu Ming said. “Lai Da is asking to see Chu Qing.”

“Chu Qing?” Wu Mu already knew from the confession that Lai Da’s capture was largely due to his infatuation with the girl.

If a meeting could yield more substantial, valuable intelligence, he would certainly try to arrange it. But now, Lai Da had been squeezed dry. Letting him see Chu Qing had no value and would only cause trouble. What if the girl still had feelings for him? That would surely displease Wu Nanhai. And an unhappy Wu Nanhai would undoubtedly take it out on the Political Security General Bureau. It was not a good idea.

“No,” Wu Mu said, organizing the interrogation report. He had already made up his mind: Lai Da was no longer useful. It was best to make him disappear quickly. Otherwise, the matter of his engagement to Chu Qing could turn into a very unpleasant affair.

With this in mind, he said sternly to Wu Ming, “All interrogation records for Lai Da are to be handed over to me for consolidation. Furthermore, the contents of this interrogation are to be kept strictly confidential. Understand?”

“Yes!” Wu Ming, though unsure of the specifics, could see from his superior’s grave expression that there must be a major secret involved. He became very tense. “I will ensure absolute secrecy, Director!”

“Yes, I’m sure you will,” Wu Mu said. “And now, I congratulate you on receiving a commendation signed by Director Zhou.”

“Serving the Elders and the people!” Wu Ming snapped to attention.

After Wu Ming left, Wu Mu reviewed the materials. After careful consideration, he removed the part of Lai Da’s confession concerning his engagement to Chu Qing and rewrote the statement. Then he made a call to Zhao Manxiong.

“…Yes, yes, I’ve removed it. Should the original be destroyed?” Wu Mu asked into the phone.

“The original interrogation records must be preserved and archived,” came the instruction from the other end. “Otherwise, if we ever need to revisit the case, we won’t be able to prove what you removed.”

“Yes, I understand.”

The next day, Lai Da was transferred to the Special Court of the Arbitration Tribunal to be prosecuted as a “war criminal.”